MOGADISHU Somalia
(Xinhua) --African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali troops have arrested a senior Al-Shabaab
commander during an operation in Somalia’s Wanlaweyn, the mission
has said.

AMISOM said the Somali Special Forces backed by
the AMISOM troops engaged the insurgent militants in a fierce fight
that saw the arrest of one commander who is being interrogated over
a series of terror attacks in the region.

AMISOM said its forces would pursue the insurgents behind a
series of terror attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.

Al-Shabaab militants have recently increased their attacks
against AMISOM and Somali forces in Somalia, which resulted in the
loss of some towns, although the militants mainly held these towns
briefly.

The AMISOM and Somali forces have also increased air strikes in
the country, resulting in the killing of several militants..

UPDATES:

At least four killed, 12
injured in twin blasts in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua) --At least four people were killed and 12 others
injured in twin explosions at a restaurant in the Somali capital of
Mogadishu on Saturday evening, officials and witnesses confirmed on
Sunday.

A security officer told Xinhua that some unknown assailants
hurled two grenades at the eatery at Hodan district in Banadir
region.

"Four people were killed and 12 others were injured in the
explosions at a restaurant in Hodan district. Among the injured are
some government officials," said the security officer who did want
to be identified.

The busy restaurant is frequented by government officials.

Witnesses said many people were at the restaurant at the time of
the attack.

The twin explosions were very powerful that could be heard in
parts of the capital, said a witness named Hussein Osman.

Mogadishu has recently experienced a series of attacks from
insurgents.

The Somalia Islamist group of Al-Shabaab, which is fighting to
topple the government, claimed responsibility for the latest attack,
saying it killed four government soldiers in the attack..

African Union and Somali
troops capture town from Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua) --Somali troops and African Union peacekeeping forces
on Tuesday captured a town in southwest Somalia from Al-Shabaab
militants, an army official said.

Somali military commander Abdullahi Farah told Xinhua Al-Shabaab
militants withdrew from Mooragaabey town in Bakool region as the
joint forces were advancing.

Farah said the forces were conducting an operation to push back
and catch Al-Shabaab fighters, who are controlling parts of Bakool
region.

Somalia-based Al-Shabaab extremist group has been forced out of
its major strongholds by the AU and Somali forces but continues to
launch bomb and gun attacks in the country..

EARLIER REPORTS:

Car explosion targets UN
compound in Somalia, injuring guards

MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua) --A car exploded near a compound run by the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) in the Somali capital Mogadishu on
Wednesday, injuring four security guards.

The UNDP confirmed the incident, saying "all UNDP staff are safe
and sound" after the blast.

The injured are staff from a private security company, according
to the UN agency.

Somali security forces have arrested nine suspected Al-Shabaab
members in nearby areas for alleged involvement in the attack.

The explosion comes barely two days after a twin car bomb attack
killed at least two people near the UN base in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab militants launched an ambush on the UNDP compound in
Mogadishu in June 2013, killing 15 people.

The group has carried out frequent attacks in Somalia, many of
them in Mogadishu, in its decade-long fight against the government.
.

Al-Shabaab suspects nabbed in
Somali capital over solider’s death

MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua) -- Somalia security forces on Tuesday arrested
two suspected members of Al-Shabaab militant group in an operation
in the capital Mogadishu over the killing of a government solider.

Benadir Police Commisioner, Bishar Abshir Gedi, said the suspects
were believed to be behind the killing of the soldier in Mogadishu’s
Yakhshid district on Monday night.

The soldier’s death came hours after Al-Shabaab militants carried
out twin suicide car bomb attacks in Mogadishu on Monday, claiming
they killed over 30 people. The exact number of casualties in the
attacks is still unknown